Pasting plate spraying apparatus



Feb. 18, 1958 R. J. sTEHLlNG A 2,823,642

PASTING PLATE PASTE SPRAYING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 20, 1956 5Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 18, 1958 R. J. sTEHLlNG 2,823,642

` PASTING PLATE PASTE SPRAYING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 20, 1956 5Sheets-Sheet 2 3 #y Muy Feb. 18, 1958 R. J. s'rEHLlNG PASTING PLATEPASTE SPRAYING APPARATUS 5 Sheets-Shree?l 3 Jmwrt) bZpZ-L Biel-2mg FiledJan. 20, 1956 Q() \9 @f5 LO Feb. 18, 1958 R. J. sTEHLlNG 2,823,642

PASTING PLATE PASTE SPRAYING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 20, 1956 5Sheets-Sheet 4 Jmhwfu) Ralph Stel-12mg f7 www.

Feb. 18, 1958 R. J. STEHLING 2,823,642

PASTING PLATE PASTE SPRAYING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 20, 1956 v 5Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent O heb PAS'IING PLATE PASTE SPRAYINGAPPARATUS Ralph J. Stehling, Milwaukee,` Wis., assigner to The Chas. H.Stehling Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Thisinvention relates 4to paste spraying apparatusv and has more particularreference to improvements in apparatus for spraying paste upon pastingplates of the type used in tanneries.

In tanneries it is customary to paste the tanned skins while wet uponlarge flat plates to facilitate stretching vand drying of the skins.These so-called pasting plates are generally large sheets of metalhaving porcelain enamel surfaces, or, in some instances, the plates maybe large sheets of plate glass. In either event, the plates areysuspended vby trolleys from an overhead rail forming part` of a. closedcircuit system, to enable the plates to be easily moved past one or morestretching ystations and then into. a drying chamber. yAfter drying, ofcourse, the skins are :stripped from the plates, but before the platescan be reused they must be washed.

The washing of the plates may be effected in part in soaking apparatussuch as that forming the subject matter of my copending application,Serial No.V 560,409, filed January 20, Y1956, and in part in scrubbingand drying apparatus such` as that disclosed in the copendingapplication of Ralph I. Stehling and Rafael A. Guardado, Serial No.437,226, filed June 16, 1954.

After the plates have been scrubbed clean and dried, they are movedalong the overhead rail to a` paste applying station where both faces ofthe plates are coated with pastepreparatory to receiving the tannedhides thereon. Paste has been deposited upon the plates in manydifferent ways, often merely by manual brushing of the paste thereon.This earlier method, however, has recently been supplanted by pasteapplying appartus which includes a housing through which the washedplates are conducted while paste is sprayed upon the opposite facesthereof.

Such paste spraying apparatus as was provided heretofore has been found`objectionable either for their inability to prevent the sprayed pastefrom contacting and accumulating upon moving parts of the .apparatusinside the'housing, or for their failure to effectively confine thesprayed paste in-the housing of the apparatus.

For example, with one `type of conventional paste spraying apparatus thespray nozzles were mounted upon carriages inside the housing of theapparatus, which carriages were guidedy for up and down motion alongvertical rails also exposed in the interior of the housing, so thatpaste issuing from the nozzles would accumulate on .the carriage and itsguide rails -until vit, seriously interfered with theproper up and downtravel of the carriages and the nozzles thereon. Naturally, this type ofapparatus hadrto be shut down frequently for cleaning.

In an effort to overcome thisobjection, attemptsrhave beeumade to removethe nozzlecarriage and its guide mechanism from the housing, but thisresulted in the necessity for providing elongated upright openings inthe laterally opposite side walls of the housing in order to accommodatethe spray nozzles. This expedient was also found to be undesirable. Itallowed sprayed paste to escape from the housingthrough the elongatednozzle re- "ice ceiving openings, and to accumulate on the exteriorsur-r faces of the apparatus and other mechanism adjacent thereto. Italso created conditions hazardous to the op erators of the washing andpaste spray apparatus as aconsequence ofv wet paste deposited upon theiioor areas surrounding the apparatus.

With these objections in mind, it is a primary purpose` of thisinvention to provide paste spraying apparatus of the character describedwith improved means for effecting up and down translation of the pastespray nozzles Without, danger of the sprayed paste escaping from thehousing of the apparatus, and which, moreover, is substantiallyunaffected by its exposure to paste sprayed inside the housing.

`More specifically it is the purpose of this invention to provide apaste spraying .apparatus of the character de:- scribed wherein thepaste spray nozzles are mounted upon two opposing stretches of beltmeans extending upwardly through the housing of the apparatus at'laterally opposite sides thereof, and wherein said opposing stretches ofthe belt means also provide closures for the laterally opposite sides ofthe housing.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as thedescriptionproceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafterdescribed and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it beingun derstood that such changes in the precise embodiment of thehereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of theclaims.

AT he accompanying drawings illustrate two complete examples of thephysical embodiments of the invention constructed according to the bestmodes so far devised for the practical application of the principlesthereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the paste spraying apparatus ofthis invention;

Figure 2 is an elevational view of the apparatus seen in Figure 1,viewing the same from the plate discharge end;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view taken through Figure 2 lalong theplane of the line 3 3;

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic perspective view illustrating the endlessbelt carrier for the spray nozzles and the manner in which the belt istrained over laterally opposite sets of pulleys on the apparatus;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of part of the apparatusshown in Figure 3, taken along the plane of the line 5-5; and

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic elevational view similar to Figure 4 butillustrating a modified arrangement of the endless belt.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings in, whichlike numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, thepaste sprayingapparatus 5.of this invention features a unique andsimplified carrier means in the form of an endless belt 6 (see Figure4), having the paste spray nozzles 7 mounted thereon. Paste sprayissuing from the nozzles 7 is deposited on the opposite faces of pastingplates S as they are advanced'successively through the housing 11 of theapparatus while suspended by trolleysv 9 from an overhead rail 1l). Theplates, of course, are advanced endwise, in vertical positions, throughthe housing, by means not shown.

Referring to Figure 4, it will be seen that the endless belt carriermeans is trained about two laterally opposite sets of upper and lowerpulleys 12, 13 and 14, respectively, the sets of pulleys being arrangedat opposite sides .of a vertical plane which lies in the path of travelof the plates 8 through the housing of the apparatus. In each set, thepulleys 12 and 13 are arranged to rotate on axes lying in a commonvertical plane parallel to the path of travel Vof thek plates throughthe housing, but spaced apart a distance.l

greater than the vertical dimension of the plates to be sprayed. Thus,the axes of the upper pulleys 12 are located a distance above the upperedges of the plates to be sprayed, while the axes of the lower pulleys13 are located a distance beneath the lower edges of the plates to besprayed. The remaining lower pulleys 14 of the two sets are arranged torotate on axes parallel to but spaced inwardly and slightly above theaxes of the pulleys 13.

As best seen in Figure 4, therefore, the endless belt 6 is trained aboutthe pulleys of the two sets thereof so as to have adjacent upright innerand outer stretches 16 and 17 extending downwardly from each of theupper pulleys 12, in parallel relation to one another and to the path oftravel of the plates through the housing. The inner stretches 16 of thebelt are run under the pulleys 14 and are integrally joined to oneanother by a transverse horizontal stretch 18, while the outer stretches17 of the belt are run under the lowermost pulleys 13 and are integrallyjoined to one another by a transverse horizontal stretch 19 slightlybeneath the transverse stretch 18.

Each of the paste spray nozzles 7 is mounted on a bracket 20 which isfixed to the inner face of one of the inner stretches 16 of the endlessbelt with the nozzles facing inwardly toward the median vertical planeof the housing, which plane, of course, lies in the path of travel ofthe pasting plates through the housing.

As the pasting platesare conducted through the housing while suspendedfrom the overhead rail 10, paste and air under pressure delivered to thenozzles 7 through paste and air supply lines 22 and 23, respectively,are sprayed upon the opposite faces of the plates. During spraying, theendless belt 6 is driven alternately in opposite directions an extentsuch as to cause the spray nozzles 7 to be carried up and Vdown adistance suicient to encompass substantially the entire verticaldimension of the pasting plates by the spray issuing from the nozzles.

For this purpose, the apparatus of this invention provides a simple buthighly efficient belt drive mechanism generally designated 25. The beltdrive mechanism includes an electric motor 26, and speed reducingtransmission mechanism 27 connected between the motor and an endlesschain 28 trained over driving and idler sprockets 29 and 30,respectively. The sprockets closely overlie the exterior of one outerstretch 17 of the endless belt with their axes normal thereto and spacedvertically a distance substantially corresponding to the degree of upand down motion it is desired to impart to the spray nozzles 7.

Fixed to one of the links of the chain 28 is a drive arm 31, whichextends inwardly of the stretches of the chain and has a trunnion 32 onits outer end projecting toward and drivingly connected with theadjacent outer stretch 17 of the endless belt. The axis of the trunnion32 passes exactly midway between the vertical stretches of the chain sothat it will be coaxial with the sprockets 29 and 30 when the drive armtravels thereover.

By reason of the fact that the trunnion is constrained to travel in avertical plane normal to the adjacent stretch 17 of the belt, thedriving connection between the chain and the belt may be effected merelyby the reception of the trunnion in a simple bushing 33 fixed on a plate34 which is flatwise attached to the outer face of the adjacent outerstretch 17 of the belt. Thus, the chain 28 provides a belt driving meanswhich is constrained to travel in a fixed vertically elongated closedorbit, and the desired back and forth motion is imparted to the nozzles7 without the necessity for resorting to such undesirable motiontransmitting means as previously required the chain carried driver toengage in an elongated cross slot in the nozzle carrier.

The housing 11 of the apparatus is supported from an arch-like structurewhich includes two upright spaced apart columns 36 at the opposite sidesof the housing and joined at their tops and bottoms by transverse Kchannel-shaped beams 37 and 38, respectively. The columns extendupwardly a distance beyond the overhead rail 10, and the upper beam 37provides a bridge extending transversely across the rail 10 a distancethereabove. The lower beam 38 forms part of a base frame for the housinglocated a distance beneath the lower edges of the plates to be sprayed.

As seen best in Figure 3, each of the columns 36 comprise a cluster offour upright spaced apart angle irons arranged in pairs at oppositesides of the end portions ofthe crossbeams 37 and 38. The innermostangles 40 of the pairs have one leg thereof flatwise engaging and xed tothe vertically disposed flanges of the crossbeams and projectingoutwardly of the housing. The outermost angles 41 of the pairs likewisehave one leg thereof flatwise engaged with and fixed to the verticallydisposed flanges of the crossbeams, but these legs project inwardly ofthe housing. In addition to supporting the housing, the columns alsoprovide upright supporting structure for carrying the two sets ofpulleys 12, 13 and 14. Each of the upper and lower pulleys 12 and 13 ofeach set of pulleys, is mounted on one of the co1-y umns with thepulleys between the two pairs of upright angles which comprise thecolumn, and with the pulley shafts 42 projecting outwardly in oppositedirections through the spaces between the angles of each pair, to

be rotatably received in bearings 43 carried by the angles.l

A belt tensioning device indicated generally by the numeral 44, however,is provided for the bearing 43 of one of the -upper pulleys 12, as shownbest in Figure 2, so as to enable the proper tension to be maintainedupon the stretches of the endless belt.

The shafts of the two remaining pulleys 14 are rotatably journalled inbrackets 46 mounted on the innermost angles 40 of the columns.

The electric motor 26 is supported by a bracket 48 from one of thecolumns 36, near the upper end thereof and its shaft projects outwardlytherefrom to connect with the speed reducing transmission means 27, thelatter being supported by an elongated upright framework 50 mounted onthe adjacent column 36, but spaced outwardly a short distance therefromto accommodate the chain 28 between it and the column. It is understood,of course, that the sprockets 29 and 30 are rotatably mounted insuitable bearings in the upright framework 50.

The housing for the paste spray apparatus of this invention is soconstructed as to provide laterally opposite housing sections orchambers 52 and 53 which are in open communication with one anotheracross the median vertical plane of the housing along which the platesto be sprayed travel through the housing. These housing sections orchambers are located beneath the overhead rail 10 and are of a height atleast as great as the vertical dimension of the plates to be sprayed.

The housing sections or chambers are built around and supported by pairsof upright angles 54 and 55 disposed back to back at the front and rear,respectively, of the housing. VAt their lower ends the opposing legs ofeach pair of angles 54 and 55 flatwise embrace and are secured to theopposite sides of a longitudinal channel 56 forming part of the baseframework, so that the angles of each pair thereof are spaced apartlaterally short but equal distances from the median vertical plane ofthe housing, as seen in Figure 3.

At a small elevation above the longitudinal beam 56, the two sets ofupright angles 54 and 55 also accommodate therebetween an elongatedplate guiding channel 58, the laterally opposed sides of which areatwise Welded to the opposing backs of the angles and form a guide toloosely receive the lower edge portions of plates 8 passing through thehousing. Longitudinally extending angles 59 arranged back to back aresecured to the upper ends of the upright angles of each cham'- ber, andthe depending lianges of the angles S9 provide spaced apart guides whichloosely receive the upper edge portions of plates 8 passing through thehousing. r'

' At their upper ends and also near their lower ends',

the front and .rear angles 54. and.55 for each of the housing "sectionsor chambers are `joined lto the innermost angles 40 of the fcolu'm-'ns36 A'by 'tangle irons 60 y#extending lhorizontally and somewhat-diagonally across lthe frontand rear of the housing. rltrfshouldvvbeanoted, 4however, `that the lower diagonal rangle irons 60 are:located `slightly above the innermost pulleys 14.

.The sides "of each of the housing `:sections or fcfham'bersVareiprovided by doors 61 hinged fasfat162 to 'the fouter edges of theflanges of the innermost angles 40 of each of the columns. These doorshave their free edge portions overlapping the laterally outwardlyprojecting legs of the angles 54 and 55, as indicated at 63. The doors61, of course, are of a size to completely close the front and rearsides of the housing and they may be releasably held closed by means oflatching devices having handles 64 near the free edge portions of thedoors, to actuate keepers 65 which are engagable with the inner surfacesof the laterally outwardly projecting legs of the angles 54 and 55, asshown in Figure 3. Obviously, when the keepers are released the doorsmay be swung open about their hinges 62 to provide access to theinteriors of the housing sections or chambers 52 and 53.

At their tops and bottoms each of the chambers 52 and 53 is closed by asubstantially horizontal plate 67, it being understood that the inneredges of these plates are spaced apart across the median plane `of thehousing to provide for passage of the pasting plates therethrough.

The spaces at the laterally opposite sides of the housing sections orchambers which exist between the innermost angles 40 of each of thecolumns is partially closed by the inner stretches 16 of the endlessbelt and partially by the anges of angle irons 69 which are secured tothe inner .angles 40 of the columns along the inner faces of theirlaterally outwardly projecting legs. The angles 69, of course, extendvertically for the entire height of the housing sections or chambers andtheir anges 70 which project toward one another overlie the outer facesof the inner stretches 16 of the endless belt to act as guides therefor.

Aside from the inner stretches 16 of the endless belt, therefore, noneof the mechanism by which the nozzles are translated up and down in thepaste spray chambers is exposed at the interior of the chambers. Each ofthe upper pulleys 12 of the two sets thereof 'is located a distanceabove the top walls 67 of the housing sections or chambers, while thelower pulleys 13 and 14 of each set thereof are located beneath theclosure or oor 67 at the bottom of each chamber. Consequently, there isno opportunity for paste sprayed into the chambers to contact andaccumulate upon the pulleys or upon any of the nozzle translatingmechanism, except the inner faces of the inner stretches 16 of theendless belt.

It will also be noted that but one speed reducing transmission mechanism27 `and orbital drive means 28 is required to impart motion in oppositedirections to the endless belt and to thus effect the desired up anddown travel of the nozzles in the housing. By the arrangement of theendless belt shown best in Figure 4, it will also be noted that, whilethe nozzle of one chamber is travelling in a downward direction, thenozzle in the opposite chamber is travelling upwardly. In other words,the two nozzles will at all times be moved in opposite directions.

If desired, the two transverse stretches 18' and 19' of the belt meansmay be located above the overhead rail 10, close to the upper transversebeam of the arch-like supporting frame, as shown in Figure 6, ratherthan at the bottom portion of the apparatus. When these transversestretches of the endless belt are so located, the upper pulleys 12' aremounted slightly higher than previously on their columns, and the twopulleys 14 are supported from the columns slightly inwardly of thepulleys 12' and at elevations slightly beneath the latter. In this casealso,

thegpulleys about which the endless belt is trained lie en- 'tirellyoutside the V'spray chambers, while'the outer sides of the latter areclosed by the inner, nozzle carrying stretches '1'6 of the belt.

From lthev foregoing description taken together'with the accompanyingdrawings, it will be readily vapparent .to those skilled in the art,that this .invention ,provides an improved paste spraying apparatusfeaturing simplicity of construction and excellent protection againstaccumulation of paste on any of the nozzle translating mechanism, andagainst the escape of paste spray from the spray chambers.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In an apparatus for spraying paste upon pasting plates as they traveledgewise in a vertical position along a defined path preparatory tohaving hides pasted thereon: means including spaced side walls eachhaving vertically extending inner and outer edges, defining an uprightchamber alongside said path, said chamber having a height at least equalto the vertical dimension of plates to be sprayed and having an openinner side facing a vertical plane in said path along which the pastingplates travel; the longitudinally extending inner edges of said sidewalls which define the open side of the chamber being close to saidplane so that each plate as it moves past the chamber substantiallycloses said open side thereof; the outer longitudinally extending edgesof the side walls being spaced apart; an endless belt of a width to spanthe distance between the spaced outer edges of the side walls; pulleymeans mounting the endless belt with a stretch thereof extendingvertically and with the side edges thereof contiguous to the outer edgesof said side walls so that said stretch of the belt closes the spacebetween said outer edges and coacts with the side walls in defining saidchamber; a spray nozzle mounted on said stretch of the belt facingtoward the open inner side of the chamber; and drive means disposedentirely outside the chamber and connected to the endless belt to impartback and forth endwise movement to the belt to carry the spray nozzle upand down.

2. The paste spraying apparatus of claim 1 further characterized by theprovision of flange means on the outer vertically extending edges ofsaid side walls overlying the outer face of said stretch of the endlessbelt, to guide the motion of the belt and coact with the belt in closingthe space between said outer edges of the side walls.

3. The paste spraying apparatus of claim l wherein said means definingthe chamber includes spaced top and bottom walls joined to the sidewalls and wherein said pulley means is spaced above and below said topand bottom walls. 4. In an apparatus for spraying paste upon oppositefaces of pasting plates as they travel edgewise in a vers tical planealong a -defined path: upright supporting structure at each of theopposite sides of and spaced from a vertical plane in said path alongwhich the plates travel;

pulleys rotatably mounted on each of said supporting structures andspaced vertically from one another a distance greater than the verticaldimension of .the pasting plates to be sprayed; an endless belt trainedover said pulleys and having elongated upright stretches opf posing oneanother, one at each side of said vertical plane but spaced outwardlytherefrom; a spray nozzle mounted on each of said opposing stretches ofthe belt facing inwardly toward said plane; means carried by saidsupporting structure defining va mist confining chamber at each side ofsaid plane, each of said chambers having a pair of upright side wallswith vertically extending inner and outer edges, the inner edges beingclose to but spaced from said plane and the outer edges being adjacentto the longitudinal edges of the adjacent one of said opposing uprightstretches of the belt; ange means at said outer i as-salada 7 i `svedges of the upright walls overlying the edge portions of Y iReferen'c'esCited in the file of this patent said stretches of the beltto guide the same and coact Y UNI T therewith to close the 4outer sidesof the chambers; and TED S ATES PATENTS 2,488,907 Gri'n etal NOV. 22,1949

